The Rundown

a few things on my mind to rundown, so let’s get to it ...


-congrats to Proph’ ...

-I looked it up and Busta Rhymes’ new album Back On My B.S. is actually out ... came out last week and I didn’t even know ... for those that would question my status as a Busta fan, I’ll explain that this album has been pushed back for the last two years and I didn’t expect it to make the projected release date ... I’ve heard the first four released singles on YouTube and if that’s any indication, this may be the album where I declare Busta doesn’t have it anymore ... I mean the track featuring Jadakiss and Lil Wayne, the collab sounded funny to me even before hearing the song ... I mean, Jadakiss appeals to the hardcore fans of hip hop, while Lil Wayne, I don’t even need to go there ... after hearing the song, I must say I’m disappointed with both Busta and Jadakiss, esp. Jada, those are the weakest lyrics I’ve heard from him, probably ever and that’s saying a lot ... I’ll give a full Back On My B.S. review when after I listen to the album in its entirety ...



-I picked up the latest issue of SLAM Magazine with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James on the cover in a boxing-style face-to-face posedown ... now I’ve been meaning to address the “Who’s better Kobe or LeBron?” issue for a while ... Kobe hands down ... for the simple facts that I like his game better and he’s a winner ... what I like to see in a scoring wing player are finesse and killer instinct ... Kobe has a lot of flash and artistry to his game, like other players I such as D-Wade and Jordan ... plus, in the fourth quarter, The Black Mamba is a killer, there’s nobody in the league that I’d rather give the ball to in clutch situations ... LeBron on the other hand, his offensive game is a bulldozing, freight train style, just running people over, it’s just not my cup of tea ... plus that “crab dribble” is annoying as hell ... defensively, he’s good, not taking anything away, but man-to-man, Kobe’s just better ... The thing I hate most about LeBron is his arrogance, now there’s cockiness which Kobe is, but then LeBron takes that to the next level 100-fold ... but what else would I expect from someone who got everything handed to him before he even stepped onto an NBA court ...

-I’m pulling for a Lakers/Magic Final ... with Orlando and my fave player Dwight Howard coming out on top ... don’t get things twisted now, I’ve made my predictions, but this is what I WANT to see ...

-I don’t know if any of you caught Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s tirade on ESPN’s Brian Kenney ... Floyd likes to call himself “Money Mayweather” and “Cash King”, I simply think of him as “The King of Contradiction” ... in this interview, none of his points made any logical sense and he contradicted himself numerous times ... buggin’ out on a commentator did him no service, it just made him look like an unintelligible, arrogant, piece of trash, not to mention looking like “Mama Klump” ... I’m personally glad to see Floyd back in the game, because I’m a fan of his talent, but it would be nice, just once to see someone press the mute button on his big mouth ... I say, who better than Manny Pacquiao or Shane Mosley ...







-condolences to “Iron” Mike Tyson, who’s 4-year-old daughter Exodus accidentally strangled herself to death ...

-speaking of the former heavyweight champ, he’s got a documentary out in theatres which I want to see, entitled Tyson ...







-other movies I’d like to go and see are Terminator: Salvation and Angels & Demons ... I’ve always been a fan of the Terminator series, both the movies and the show ... my boycott of FOX has begun after they officially announced the cancellation of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, in my opinion the best show on TV by miles ... Angels & Demons, meanwhile, is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code ... the original, if memory serves, I didn’t find half bad ...

-finally, what a shocker, the Toronto Blue Jays have been sent spiralling down to Earth in their recent slide, which included 2/3 losses to the Yankees and a sweep by the Red Sox ...

Peace!

~J-Smooth~

ABC Survey

I've deleted the non-applicable questions

A
1- Available: ALWAYS
3- Annoyance: FAKENESS
4- Animal: PANDAS

B
5- Beer: HEINEKEN, SAN MIGUEL
6- Believe in God: DEFINITELY
7- Best Friend(s): ZONA, PROPH’, ANTHRO, JUDDIMAC
8- Body Part on [a guy/girl]: EYES
9- Best feeling(s): ADRENALINE FROM SPORTS AND JUBBIES
10- Blind or Deaf: NEITHER
11- Best weather: FALL WEATHER
12- Been in Love: NOPE
13- Been on stage: YUP
14- Believe in Magic: BEFORE DAVID BLAINE I WOULD’VE SAID NO
15- Believe in Santa: YUP

C
16- Candy: I EAT THE MOST OBSCURE ONES, EX. POPEYES
17- Color: BLACK
18- Chocolate/Vanilla: CHOCOLATE
19- Chinese/Mexican: MEXICAN FOOD, NOT EVEN CLOSE
20- Cake or pie: MOIST CHOCOLATE CAKES
21- Continent to visit: AUSTRALIA
22- Cheese: PROPH’S TASTE IN TV SHOWS

D
23- Day or Night : NIGHT
24- Dance in the rain?: WTF? I’M PINOY AND I’M A DUDE

E
25- Eyes: BLACK
26- Everyone's got: SECRETS, PROBLEMS

F
28- First thoughts waking up: BREAKFAST

G
30- Greatest Fears: GOD, MY FATHER
31- Goals: STABILITY, SUCCESS, HAPPINESS, IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER
32- Gum: DENTINE ICE
33- Get along with your parents?: YUP
34- Good luck charm: NOPE

H
35- Hair Color: BLACK
36- Height: 5’11”
37- Happy: CONTENT
38- Holiday: WHICH EVER ONES MEAN I DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING
39- How do you want to die: OLD AGE

I
40- Ice Cream: MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP
41- Instrument: PIANO

J
42- Jewelry: USED TO, BUT I’M NOT FLASHY LIKE THAT ANYMORE
43- Job: TEACHING

K
44- Kids: NONE OF MY OWN; I’M A BIG KID MYSELF
45- Kick boxing or karate? BOXING, BUT I’VE DONE KARATE
46- Keep a journal?: NOPE

L
47- Love: HAVEN’T FOUND IT YET
48- Letter: J
49- Laughed so hard you cried: YUP, JUST LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE CRACKING ON ANTHRO

M
50- Milk flavor: CHOCOLATE
51- Movies: LAST MOVIE I WATCHED, THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY
52- Motion sickness?: NOPE
53- McD’s or BK: NEITHER, BUT IF I HAD TO PICK, MC D’S, FOR THE CHICKEN NUGGETS

N
54- Number: 11

O
55- One wish: ALL MY GOALS TO BE MET

P
56- Perfect Pizza: JUST NO OLIVES OR ANCHOVIES
57- Pepsi/Coke: NEITHER

Q
58- Quail: YEAH, THEIR EGGS ARE NICE

R
59- Reason to cry: LOSS OF A LOVED ONE
60- Reality T.V: MOST IDIOTIC CONCEPT EVER, 99% OF THOSE SHOWS ARE PURE GARBAGE
61- Radio Station: FAN 590
62- Roll your tongue in a circle?: NOPE

S
64- Song: ONE MIC
65- Shoe size: 13
66- Salad Dressing: CHIPOTLE SOUTHWESTERN
67- Sushi: YUCK
68- Slept outside: YUP
69- Smoked?: NEVER
70- Sing well?: MAGIC MIC SAYS I DO, I’LL TAKE IT’S WORD FOR IT
74- Strawberries/Blueberries: EITHER OR

T
75-Tattoos?: NOPE
76- Time for bed: N/A
77- Thunderstorms: LOVE THEM WHEN THERE’S A HEATWAVE

U
78- Unpredictable: DESCRIBES ME SOMEWHAT

V
79- Vacation spot: USA, PHILIPPINES

W
80- Weakness: MY SURPRESSED ANGER
81- Which one of your friends acts the most like you: NONE
82- Who makes you laugh the most: MYSELF
83- Worst feeling: LOSING SOMEONE YOU LOVE
84- Wanted to be a model: HELL NO
85- Where do we go when we die?: HEAVEN
86- Worst Weather?: WHEN IT’S RAINING AND STILL HOT

X
87- X-Rays: I’VE HAD ‘EM
88- Ex's: ONLY ONE I STILL HAVE ANY RESPECT FOR

Y
89-Year it is now: 2009
90-Yellow: LACOSTE SHIRT

Z
91- Zoo animal: PANDAS

Peace!

~J-Smooth~

Random Shots XXL

J-Smooth has returned from hiatus to do what he does best, put people/things on blast ...

-starting off with some stuff in the T-Dot ... now before I sound off on Ruby Dhalla, I first have to say that I must be cautious because I read somewhere that making false statements on blog sites such as these can constitute defamation of character ... that being said, I’ll just deal with the facts ... for those unfamiliar with this case, Ruby Dhalla is a Brampton MP and she is being accused of mistreatment by her former Live-in Caregivers, two Filipino ladies who say that they had their passports confiscated by Dhalla and were only paid over a dollar per hour ... in statements prior to her formal hearing at Parliament, Dhalla said something to the effect of: why would they (the nannies) make statements fifteen months after they had left ... then at Parliament deny that they were employed by her, saying they were employees of her mother and brother ... now, if that is the case, why didn’t Dhalla say that up front? ... second, if you are new immigrants in a country, hoping to land permanent status, unless you’re a keener you wouldn’t have good knowledge about your rights in the country nor would you want to do something to jeopardize your immigrant status, such making a stink with your employer ... if Dhalla is in fact found of any wrong doing, she should be removed from her position and criminal charges should be laid ... like I was telling Prophet the other day, this problem with mistreatment of Live-in Caregivers has been going on for a while and it’s only center stage now because there is a face to the problem ... if Ruby Dhalla has to take the fall for it, so be it ... it would serve her right for her arrogance ...

-something that’s been a thorn in the side of Toronto commuters over the past few weeks are the Toronto contingent of Tamils ... their protest is a call to the Canadian and United States governments to intervene in the crisis in Sri Lanka ... aside from the fact that I think that their protest is pointless, disorganized and lacks any kind of direction, I could care less ... I’m sure people will chime in and say, “if it was the Philippines J, you’d be singing a different tune” ... actually no I wouldn’t, there are rebel insurgents in the Philippines as we speak ... if it’s an “in-house” problem, it should be dealt with in house ...

-how ‘bout them Toronto Blue Jays? ... that was a generic/rhetorical question ... I’ll be reserving judgement until a third of the way or halfway point of the season ... but it’s nice to see baseball fever back in Toronto, a city definitely starved for a winner ... everything just seems to be going the Jays’ way at the moment, the pitching and offense are both clicking thus far, in contrast to years past where they’d only get one or the other ... as for guys I like on the roster: Vernon Wells, Alex Rios, Scott Rolen and Roy Halladay ... speaking of Halladay, I got into a bit of a debate with Anthro the other day about who the better pitcher is between “Doc” and the Mets’ Johan Santana ... he thinks my preference for Santana means that I’m a Halladay-hater, which couldn’t be any further from the truth ... I like them both and I think that they’re the two best pitchers in the game, galaxies ahead of their peers ... but I just think Santana has better “stuff”/movement on his pitches, which would explain his tops/top 2 ERA and SO total ... if he was pitching for the Jays, I guarantee he’d have 9 wins by now ... what I would give for the Jays to acquire Santana, if they did I would call for them to win the World Series right now, because of the fact that they’d be tough to beat in a 7 game series with two aces ... as for Anthro, when he gets on an athlete’s nuts, they’re coming off, he’s the textbook definition of “fanatic” ... LOL, it’s all love bruh ...

-I’ve watched a couple movies recently ... no need for reviews, they both sucked @ss, I would rate both less than a 1 out of 5 ... The Day the Earth Stood Still starring Keanu Reeves and The Reader starring Kate Winslet ... I have nobody to blame but myself, because I listened to outside opinion ...

-NBA Conference Finals Predictions ... first let me say that I’m ecstatic with the dethroning of the Boston Celtics, those arrogant and classless MF’ers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce got exactly what they deserved ... Orlando Magic vs. Cleveland Cavaliers ... I hate to say it, but Cleveland will probably take this series ... they’re better defensively ... the Magic have enough firepower/shooting to keep themselves in the series, but the Cavs having the homecourt advantage makes things even tougher ... Cavs in 6 ... Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets ... this is going to be a fun series, watching two players I like, Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups ... I just don’t see the Lakers losing, but not after another tough series ... Lakers in 7 ...

-what’s up with J?, not much at the moment, but there are 3 things I’m very much looking forward to ...

-1) late summer, the September Labour Day weekend, my annual trip to New York City ... this will be a bit different from previous years ... we’ll be staying longer, going on Thursday night and leaving on the Tuesday ... on top of that, aside from the usual shopping and wandering around the city, I will be definitely be going to Jollibee and also will be attending my first Yankees game at the new Yankee Stadium ... I really wanted to go to a game at the old stadium last year, in fact, the weekend I was in New York last year, they were playing the Blue Jays ... ahh well ... maybe I should make it a point to visit the other two remaining “classic” ballparks before the Cubs and Red Sox make decisions to re-locate from Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston, respectively ...

-2) end of September, Tatsu and Carteron’s wedding ... not that it’s any of my business, I’ll say it anyway, Tatsu is out of her mind with her wedding expenditure ... I will not disclose the exact figures, but I’ll say that she’s not a celebrity so she shouldn’t be trying to have a wedding like one ... but whatever ... the reason why I’m looking forward to this is because it’s a family reunion of sorts and I’m not in the wedding party ... I find that when you’re part of a wedding party, it’s not as enjoyable, because you have to follow the bride and groom everywhere for pictures and all that stuff ... this way, I can just kick back and have fun with Zona, Juddimac and the rest of the Familia ...

-3) late fall, beginning of November, finally a trip to the U.S. southwest, Las Vegas, San Diego and Los Angeles ... this trip is 100% for sure going to happen, the only thing yet to be determined is the length of my stay ... I wish I could’ve included Phoenix into this vacation, but practicality didn’t permit it ... First stop Las Vegas, my Uncle Shark works and owns a home there now ... hanging with him is always fun ... next stop, San Diego and visiting by sis M&M and her new life ... she’s already given me word that there is a Jollibee over there ... Woooooooo! ...

-Finally, after much anticipation, it’s here! ... Punch-Out!! for the Wii hits stores this week and EB Games has already called to inform me that my pre-ordered copy has arrived ... I’ve been reading the reviews online, and for videogames, online reports are usually accurate ... if it’s as good as people have been saying (those that have already played it), then I will officially crown Nintendo Wii as the greatest console of all-time ... the top four games of all-time, in my book, in order Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, Mario Kart Wii, Super Mario Bros. 3 and Super Mario Kart ... I’m almost positive Punch-Out!! will rank among those ...

Peace!

~J-Smooth~

Pacquiao/Hatton wrap-up; Mayweather

I wanted to let the events of Saturday night soak in before I weighed-in ... what was my initial reaction when all was set and done? ... well, I was shouting practically every obscenity in the book ... just in complete awe over what I’d just witnessed ... like I said in my previous entry, there was just something in the air on Saturday, where I knew something special was going to happen ... I had my Pacman shirt on nearly the entire day ... so many things to comment on ...

-quite an impressive celebrity turnout: Mark Wahlberg, Mickey Rourke, Denzel Washington, Jack Nicholson, Mariah Carey, Jay-Z among many others ... I really didn’t expect Hollywood to come out, I assumed that this was an international event, but I guess Pacman has really caught onto the American mainstream ...

-what caught my attention about Manny’s entrance into the arena was that he came out flanked by Michael Moorer and Batista ... quite the security team if you ask me ...

-my father and myself were pumped ... hell, even my grandmother ... if you’re Pinoy and not pumped before a Pacman fight, there is definitely something wrong ... I had my San Miguel in hand and was ready to go ...

-Round 1: started out fast and Manny looked sharp ... I was very surprised that Hatton just came out brawling, I guess he figured he could just bully Manny ... but I was also thinking “is that really the strategy Floyd Mayweather Sr. planned out?” ... when Manny caught Hatton with that right hook at the 0:56 mark, talk about pandemonium! ... my dad and myself were up on our feet going nuts ... then again at 0:08 when Manny dropped Hatton for a second time, I was screaming at that point “it’s over!” ... not to be ... I was shouting “what you gonna do now Mayweather? what you gonna tell him now, ‘best trainer of all-time’?” ... one more note on this round, you gotta love commentator Jim Lampley’s call, “Pacquiao’s hands are blindingly fast! ... Pacquiao’s landing at will! ... This is the brilliance of the Filipino slugger! ... A Tsunami for Manny Pacquiao in Round One!” ...

-Round 2: I knew Manny would come out looking for the jugular and he came out a little wild, but settled down as the round went on ... but then came that “special” thing that I felt was going to happen ... at the 0:07 mark, a flush left hook to Hatton’s chin, “picture perfect”, Manny got all of it, Hatton took the full force of that hook and went down in a heap ... I'll be honest and I'm not exaggerating at all, I didn't see the punch watching it live and if I didn't see it, how the hell could Hatton see it ... I was stunned, then I said “oh my God, he’s really hurt” ... my dad echoed that “Holy Sh*t, he’s dead” ... we were excited over the Pacman victory of course, but at the same time really concerned over the welfare of Hatton ... when they turned him on his side and seeing the glazed look in his eyes, that was really scary ... I really felt for Ricky’s family at that point, especially his fiancée, who was understandably shaken ...

-it was at this point that I saw Floyd Mayweather Sr.’s true colors ... In my opinion, he’s no different than a pile of dog turd ... when Hatton was laid out in the middle of the ring, where the f*ck was he? ... way to show concern for your fighter Floyd ... then when Ricky was on his way back to the dressing room, again, Floyd nowhere in sight ... then later in post-fight interviews, all he was talking about was how Ricky didn’t listen to him in the fight ... for f*ck sakes!, didn’t even say, “I hope he’s OK” or anything like that ... seems that he got his money and washed his hands clean of everything ... fortunately CAT Scans turned out negative ... Floyd’s completely lost my respect as a human being ...

-getting back to the man of the hour, Manny Pacquiao ... well what can all you haters say now?, what excuse can you all possibly have? ... his performance Saturday was indeed Tyson-esque and he left no doubt about who’s the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet ... and Juan Manuel Marquez’s name shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same breath ... if they fought again today, Marquez would get laid out and early ...

-I was talking to my father the following day and he said, “Hatton had the same look in his eyes as De La Hoya when they entered the ring” ... I concurred whole-heartedly, maybe a look of concern, but whatever it was, they looked like defeated men already before the fight ...

-on Ricky Hatton, he’s accomplished a lot in his career, but it’s really time to hang it up ... he has only two losses on his resume ... unfortunately, they just so happen to come at the hands of the two best fighters of the modern era, no shame in that at all ...

-Freddie Roach ... what can I say about the man, A Complete Genius! ... he had Hatton scouted to a tee ... Freddie, the greatest white man in the history of the world! ...

-of course, after the fight, I got phone calls from various members of the familia ... most notable my Uncle Shark, who was at the MGM Grand for the fight ... we only spoke briefly because Cedric The Entertainer apparently entered the room as we were speaking ... but the one thing he did say was “you have to come down for the Pacquiao/Mayweather fight ... I don’t care if we have to pay $1000” ... you can bet your a$$, I’ll do everything in my power to make it down to Las Vegas for that ...

-leave it to Floyd Mayweather Jr. to try and steal Manny’s thunder ... he conveniently announced his return on the afternoon of the Pacquiao/Hatton bout ... like we’ve been hearing for weeks, he’s coming back to face Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th, a fight in all honesty Floyd should win decisively ... at the press conference, he came out with his usual swag and cockiness ... but Manny stole the thunder right back later that night and did his talking in the ring with that thunderous left hook ...

-I never thought I’d see the day when Floyd Jr. would come out and actually say something intelligent, but he did ... “Boxing is number one and this sport is here to stay. The reason why is this: boxing takes true hard work, dedication and skills. You’ve got other sports out there, where they claim that they’re bigger and better than us ... [in MMA] you’ve got fighters coming off the streets becoming number one, that’s not gonna happen in the sport of boxing ... this sport is here to stay.” ... AMEN!!! ... Welcome Back Floyd! ... boxing needed a mouthpiece to put that other so-called prize fighting sport on blast ... I’m sure all you advocates out there will come back and say, “it takes skill”, “there’s strategy” ... well I’ll add to what Floyd said and respond to those fans, by asking, what really sets that other “sport” apart from a school yard sissy fight? What’s really the difference? ...

-so where does the boxing world go from here? ... well the prize fighting heavens, harcore and casual fans all seem to be beckoning for a clash between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. ... I’m going on record now saying that when this fight gets booked, it will smash all live-gate and pay per view records ... there’s no other prize fighting event or organization that can compete with that ... I could just imagine the promotion, build-up, “24/7” leading up to the fight ... it will go down as one of the top 3 fights in terms of significance of all-time ... how could it not? ... the two best and most talented fighters in the world today, both in their prime ... This is Tyson versus Ali ... I’ve said it before, I would never bet on this fight, because I honestly don’t know who would win and after Manny’s decimation of Hatton on Saturday, it becomes even tougher to gage ...

Boxing ain’t goin’ nowhere! ... Thank You Manny! ... PINOY PRIDE!!!

Peace!

~J-Smooth~

The Battle of East and West

There’s something in the air on this spring day ... can you feel it? ... Something I can’t even describe ... last time I felt this way was back in 1993, the day the Toronto Blue Jays won their second of two World Series Championships ... I woke up that morning almost 16 years ago and something just felt different ... Anxiousness? Nervousness? ... maybe ... not exactly ... It’s a feeling that everything’s gonna work out, how do I know? Because I just do ... I honestly didn’t even feel this way prior to “The Dream Match” ... it’s also a feeling that it’s gonna be a great day ... how do I know? I just do ... When Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton step into the ring tonight, something special is gonna happen ... this is boxing at its best, two prime fighters with tremendous fan followings going at it ... from Day One, I’ve always viewed Ricky Hatton as a threat and have never looked at him lightly ... does Hatton have a chance? sure he does ... in boxing, one punch and 10 seconds can change the world ... but despite what Hatton’s camp, especially the outspoken Floyd Mayweather Sr. says, one thing I’m almost certain about, I just don’t see Manny Pacquiao losing ... maybe it’s the aura about him, maybe it’s Manny’s devout belief in The Lord, maybe it’s the hopes of my home country ... how do I know? I just do ... Manny knows what’s at stake, his Pound-for-Pound crown, the honor for the Philippines, a date with Floyd Mayweather Jr. ... likewise, Hatton’s got a lot to lose, his world title and possibly his career ... a loss would definitely put him at a crossroads, much like after his loss to Floyd ... this is his second crack at the Pound-for-Pound title ... it’s a second chance, but I just have a very good feeling that the result will be the same and that the Pound-for-Pound jinx will continue to haunt Ricky Hatton ... how do I know? I just do ...



Peace!

~J-Smooth~